Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Jun 18, 2007 11:49:24 GMT -6
T-Minus 1 Day and Counting for the Tight Conjunction of Saturn, Venus and the Moon
17 June 2007
17 June 2007
I ventured out to the lakefront to capture the trio of Saturn, Venus and the Moon in their close and tight conjunction the day before the event.
Using a polarizer filter, the trio is nicely backed up by a turquoise sky.
Note: Both planets are not pin points as I would expect them to be, but have some form to them with the 12x Optical zoom of the S3. Saturn is displaying an elongated shape and Venus clearly shows a 1/2 phase state.
Zooming in on the Moon, the final frame of the crescent lunar landscape is quite nice.
Seeing conditions were horrible this evening, as a blanket of haze hung over the area as these pics demonstrate.
Note the artistic streaks flying insects paint near the bright stadium lighting. Cool...
Using a salvaged teleconverter lens swiped from an old video camera I had, I took this shot and others here - and the vigetting gives it an interesting look to the scene.
The haze was really terrible, as at times, I couldn't even spot Saturn naked eye. And in binoculars it wasn't all that much better.
The Moon was sinking into the atmospheric muck and becoming hard to see.
Storms are predicted for the closest encounter of the bodies on Monday the 18th, but on the 19th it is forecast as clear and cool - and the Chicago Astronomers are prepared to observe the spectacle, albeit a day late.
;D
